WHAT’S HOT!

I just ate a pig’s ear. I am trying to forget about it. It was chewy and from Bulgaria. A Bulgarian gave it to me. I can still taste it. I will forget soon.

Southbank for the day. Books borrowed from the poetry library:

1) The Nancy Book by Joe Brainard (cartoons, narratives, ahhhhhhh boyo it doesn’t get much better than Joe Brainard)

2) Apprehend by Elizabeth Robinson (read half on the tube. So so. If I read it fast there are some interesting lines I can steal)

3) Just Space (poems 1979-1989) by Joanne Kyger (looking forward to diggin in) (Philip Whalen, Joanne Kyger, Bernadette Mayer, Joe Ceravolo, Ted Berrigan, Kenneth Koch . . . the centre of the universe . . .)

4) Ny Poesi (collaborations between British and European poets). Knives Forks and Spoons Press.

My fav collaborations with My Poesi are between Jeff Hilson (one of the most interesting British poets full stop) and Auden Mortensen (an interesting Swedish poet). Also some mighty fine political poetry from Sean Bonney (one of the best performers of poetry full stop) and Paal Bjelke Andersen.

Actually I have ordered three books from Knives Forks and Spoons Press. There is some seriously hot hot action happening over there.

The Knives Forks and Spoons Press is one of the new centres for hot innovative poetry from the UK.

There is an amazing range of work. And some great flexibility. British poetry can be mighty stiff whether labeled mainstream or innovative (eg Cambridge/the school of Keston Sutherland etc.)

Arthur Shilling, Oystercatcher, and Crater Press are also stellar presses for chapbooks/pamphlets!!!

The Knives Forks and Spoons Press is not too expensive either. The editor, Alec Newman, makes it all by hand. I am wondering if Alec Newman is human.

if you are curious about the interesting shit going down in the UK . . . this is the press worth checking out . . . you might not like it all . . . of course . . . but there is some explosive energy happening . . . long may it continue . . .

and don’t be fooled by the purposefully “amateur” looking websites . . .

There is a boatload of very very boring stale poetry.

These are the presses for interesting fresh poetry from the UK (in no particular order):

Arthur Shilling Press

Knives Forks and Spoons Press

Crater Press

(Tim Atkins esp. rocks it here)

Reality Stret

(see esp. James Davies book Plants and Jeff Hilson’s Stetchers and Peter Jaeger’s Rapid Eye Movement and Jim Goar’s Seoul Bus Poems)

Veer Books

(check out In the Assarts for the latest in yummy goodness)